The Endless Missing
本杰明·富兰克林致赫伯德小姐
Benjamin Franklin to Miss E.Hubbard
本杰明·富兰克林（1706—1790），美国著名的政治家、社会活动家、科学家、发明家。作为政治家，在美国和世界历史上，他与许多重要事件有关。他在北美独立战争中起了重大作用，是美国的创建人之一，参与起草了《独立宣言》和美国宪法。
本篇是富兰克林在弟弟约翰逝世之后，写给约翰第二任妻子与前夫所生的女儿赫伯德小姐的信。
I condole with you. We have lost a most dear and valuable relation. But it is the will of God and nature，that these mortal bodies be laid aside，when the soul is to enter real life. This is rather an embryo state，a preparation for living.
A man is not completely born until he is dead. Why then should we grieve，that a new child is born among the immortals，a new member added to their happy society？ We are spirits. That bodies should be lent to us，while they can afford us pleasure，assist us in acquiring knowledge，or in doing good to our fellow creatures，is a kind and benevolent act of God. When they become unfit for these purposes，and afford us pain instead of pleasure，instead of an aid become an encumbrance，and answer none of the intentions for which they were given，it is equally kind and benevolent，that a way is provided by which we may get rid of them. Death is that way. We ourselves，in some cases，prudently choose a partial death. A mangled painful limb，which cannot be restored，we willingly cut off. He who plucks out a tooth，parts with it freely，since the pain goes with it； and he，who quits the whole body，parts at once with all pains and possibilities of pains and diseases which it was liable to，or capable of making him suffer.
Our friend and we were invited abroad on a party of pleasure，which is to last for ever. His chair was ready first，and he has gone before us. We could not all conveniently start together； and why should you and I be grieved at this，since we are soon to follow，and know where to find him？